Burning Bridges
by glitterdustanddemons
Summary: Haymitch needs Katniss' help. But will it all run smoothly? Rated M for future chapters. :)
1. The Request

'Kat.'

She jumped, knowing who it was before she looked up from lacing on her hunting boots.

'Hey H. What's up?' She tried to keep any familiarity out of her voice. You never knew who was listening, even out here; the Games had taught her that.

'Mind if I join you, sweetheart?' He sounded uncertain, which made her look up. His face was full of doubt and even a trace of fear that she never would have seen before.

'There's no liquor where I'm going.' Katniss let a little acid creep into her voice. Haymitch was always drinking which was part of the reason they weren't speaking anymore. He smiled weakly.

'Perfect.' She shrugged her assent, pulled on her jacket and gestured for him to follow. Neither said a word until they had ducked under the boundary which separated District 12 from the woods beyond. Haymitch was looking about them nervously as Katniss calmly went to the place where she kept her hunting things.

'Well?' She rounded on him, making him jump. Haymitch shifted uncomfortably.

'I don't want to leave it this way. I still…' He trailed off into silence and it was Katniss' turn to look uncomfortable.

'We talked about this. It's too dangerous, besides I can't watch you keep drinking yourself to death. After what you've survived. We've survived.' Haymitch smiled.

'I don't want to. That's kind of why I came. I need your help.' They both stared at each other uncertainly. He held out his arms and she moved uncertainly towards him. He pulled her in and stroked her hair.

'Will you help me?' She looked up at him and nodded silently. He smiled and held her closer.

'It's all going to be ok, sweetheart.' He said as he kissed the top of her head.

'It isn't.' Katniss mumbled into him, too softly for him to hear her.


	2. The Woods

New story, so sorry for the slow development. Supposed to be set between HG and CF. :] Reviews totally appreciated. K x

Haymitch sat quietly watching Katniss as she hunted. She was beautiful and yet frighteningly lethal he was reminded, as he watched her bury an arrow in the eye of the squirrel. She picked up the squirrel and walked back over to deposit it on the pile which Haymitch was sat next to. She sat herself down next to him.

'So, what's the plan?' She asked him. Haymitch made an amused noise.

'Be discreet. Stay sober. Court you.' He drawled. Katniss punched his arm affectionately.

'Stop it. You know we can't. You mostly agreed that it was a mistake.' Haymitch draped his arm around her shoulder and looked off into the trees.

'I did. But then, things change.' Katniss looked at him sharply. His strong jawline was silhouetted against the skyline. He was, by standards, quite handsome. But then so were Gale and, of course, Peeta. She sighed as she thought of how hurt they would be if they knew about this. Any of this. She never wanted to hurt anyone. Especially not Peeta or Gale. But it hadn't been planned, or on purpose. And here she was a few months on, just before the Victory Tour, sitting with Haymitch of all people. Truth be told she had grown fond of him. But that had to stop; the same way that her now confused relationship with Gale had to be managed. All there was allowed to be was Katniss and Peeta, the star-crossed lovers from District 12. The thought made her despair. She wanted to choose who to be with. But the Games had taken that away from her too. She wasn't just Catnip anymore. She was Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire. She wasn't sure what that even meant anymore. She gazed up at Haymitch and wondered how it had all come to this.


	3. Hurt

Dressed, primped and preened and fresh on the train from District 12, Katniss Everdeen closed the door and shut herself into her chambers. She'd been alone for no more than five minutes and had just started unbuttoning the shirt she'd thrown on, when she heard a knock at the door.

'Come in.' She called, bracing herself to smile and put on a brave face but in through the door came Haymitch and she relaxed.

'Hey, sweetheart.' He sauntered over to her, but with a trace of uncertainty about him. She inhaled him as he came close to her. Not a whiff of liquor. She smiled.

'Hey. I thought you'd lied to me earlier.' Haymitch shrugged.

'Have to keep up appearances.' Katniss nodded her understanding and walked over to her dresser. She stood in front of the mirror and started to wipe away the make-up that her prep team had carefully applied.

'I like you without make-up, you know.' Katniss looked at him in the mirror and poked her finger at his direction.

'Stop. We said we couldn't.' The pain radiating from him was palpable. The look on his face brought back uncomfortable memories. She turned and suddenly his arms were around her.

'Oh, Kat. Please. I can't not. You saved me. You're….' She put a finger to his lips to quiet him. As she gazed up at him, there was a knock at the door. She jumped out of his arms and went to answer the door. It was Peeta.

'Oh hello, Haymitch.' Haymitch nodded and shifted uncomfortably.

'Hey, Peeta. I was just leaving. Good evening Katniss.' She nodded as he practically fled from the room. She turned her attention with some effort to Peeta.

'What's up?' She asked him. His face too held sadness and want.

'I needed to see you, Katniss.'

'Well here I am.' She smiled with some effort. They stood awkwardly some distance from each other. She still didn't know how she felt about Peeta. He was all mixed up with the horror of the Arena and all the things he had said to her as they returned to their District. Suddenly he was right there and then he was kissing her. She didn't know how it happened or how to stop it really. Suddenly he pulled away and looked at her.

'Just for the camera still, then?' He looked like his entire world hung on her answer. She shifted uncomfortably.

'I told you, Peeta. I don't know. I need to get to know you outside of the Arena. Away from the Games and the Capitol and the cameras. This is something that I don't want to jump into. I care about you. But it's complicated.' The pain in his face was too much and clearly he could see she couldn't handle this because he kissed her softly and left. She fell onto her bed and cried. So hard she didn't hear her door open quietly and someone slip through it into the darkness.


End file.
